Why Tokyo Has Musical Train Stations
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- In Japan, you may notice something quite unique when you’re in a train station. The stations actually sing. Want to see more Japan? Find our full Tokyo course at www.brighttrip...
Japan’s train stations have something called “train departure melodies”. These melodies are each 7-seconds long and were created to help commuters and train conductors know when the doors of the train are about to close. There are HUNDREDS of train departure melodies for different stations, lines, and for each direction that the train is going. There is actually one man behind many of the jingles, his name is Minaru Mukaiya.
Watch Great Big Story's video on Minoru Mukaiya:
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They were originally used to make sure people could tell which train was leaving-- each track has a different jingle so nobody has to rush onto a train that isn't departing yet. This is especially useful when you have stations like Shinjuku that have almost 30 platforms
So which is it now? Is it each station that has its own jingle or each platform? Does Shinjuku station really have 30 different jingles?
@@derimmerlugt3032 I can confirm that there are unique melodies for each line at the same station. Yamanote, Chuo rapid, Chuo-Sobu local, and the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi lines departing Shinjuku station have very different melodies.
Fun fact: The song at 2:34 is Koisuru Fortune Cookie by AKB48. AKB is an abbrivietion of Akihabara which is also located in Tokyo.
YES! I was looking for this comment.
As a small person (I'm short), I found new meanings of those melodies: they help me know if I am on the correct station.
During rush hours, it is hard for me to see the station screens or have enough attention to (be able to) hear the station announcement, and the melody help me know that yeah, I should get off at this station.
Once I was tired and board the train to the opposite direction. At the following stop, I heard the melody I'm not familiar with and know that I board the wrong train.
Yes, I was tired, and the moving became a routine so I didn't pay attention to the announcement.
Also, a lot of people sleep on the train, and this gets to your brain to let you know you’re close to your stop better than a voice announcement would.
The 7 second rule only applies to Tokyo Metro. JR East has music as long as 30 seconds (excluding the infinitely looping variations), and most have a length of 10 or 15 seconds. The conductors or station staff can stop the music early or keep it looping depending on the actual dwell time needed for safety. In general the longer ones have a smaller chance being fully played, and there's a station, Etchujima, famous for playing only one beat due to very low ridership.
Been there, but it's way less than a beat, it literally is just one single note and that hasn't even finished before getting cut off
As someone who's been interested in these jingles for almost 2 years yet hasn't stepped foot in Japan, I really appreciate this video. Having heard hundreds of melodies through the videos that Japanese people upload, I feel proud that I could recognize almost every single melody in this video. Thanks for sharing your research as videos like these that are in English are hard to find.
Do you know which one is at 3:15 ?
@@joao_1986 the japanese title of that one is 陽だまり V1 and is used in Shimbashi (新橋) station on the Joban line (常磐線)
@@Xavier-mz1wt Thank you
Fun Fact: In Indonesia, we also have this kind of Train Departure song. The jingles used is Westminster Chimney, but in high pitched. Pretty similar with Japanese School Announcer in terms of tempo.
Some station (mostly Regional Large Stations) also have its local song used as departure/arrival song for trains. For examples, in Jakarta Jatinegara they use song "Kicir-Kicir", Surabaya Pasar Turi used "Rek Ayo Rek", or Bandung with "Manuk Dadali".
That definitely effective of JR East.
"Surabaya.. oh suurabaya.."
ah yes. reminds me of sepasang mata bola, and kicir-kicir.
Wtf, those sounds stupid😂😂😂
Another nother fun fact: Indonesia's KRL line uses retired JR West or JR East trains!
When we were in Japan with friends, we used to call these melodies "endings", like an anime ending. I also made a ringtone from ikebukuro station melody - these MIDI's works great for this purpose)
That's so cool!
Хах, классно!
Ever since I was a kid, I've had an alarm clock that plays train melody. It's already broken, but my heart still beats when I hear the melody I used to listen to every day.
Even without such alarm clocks, people living in Tokyo wake up from their dozes when they hear the melody of the nearest station to their office or home. However, when the melody is heard, the doors of the train are about to close.
Thanks to the youtube,we can easily retrieve station melodies these days.When I found and listened to the melody of the place I had left 20 years ago,so many memories vividly revived.
In Maihama station, the station plays Disney melodies because this is the station where Tokyo Disney Resort is located in
cool
Fun fact: they now use their 40th anniversary theme song “Live in colours” (Platform 2) and “Every wish deserves a dream”, the original theme song created for the nighttime spectacular “Believe! Sea of dreams” for Tokyo DisneySea (Platform 1). I heard the nighttime theme song on the platform last month when I exited the platform and immediately noticed it😂😂😂 Both of the songs are so good and they stuck into my brain. Well done, East JR, Maihama Station and Tokyo Disney Resort.
@@jonathanchan4265Doesn't that connect to Resprt Gateway station? I've never been there, but did some reading.
0:45 松戸の破壊力すごい
発車メロディーっぽくないよなw
急にテレビショッピングが始まったのかと思った
I liked the sudden switch to the dischevied video editor look, I too tend to turn into a trash goblin whenever I need to edit a video in a span of a few days, that's very relatable haha
One thing that I want you really understand is Mr. Mukaiya is just one of many station jingle composers. Many are involved in this business, so JR East does not adopt his jingle. The Shibuya and Takadanobaba ones in this video are not by Mukaiya, it is composed by Mr. Sakurai.
the 'I am Working on the Railroad' jingle is the most adorable thing
Amazing video, I love the way how you explain it in the tiniest details. Being a long-time (part-time) musician myself I really love that the creator visits the places and truly tries to make the music fit the enviroment, in my book that is writting music with the heart at exatly the right place.
Also love the connection between the musician and Densha de Go!
Keep up the creativity!
I missed those no wonder these were stuck in my head. And the concept has also spread overseas, like the Taipei metro.
Brilliant video... finally someone explains this so well. Thank you!!!
I loved these when I travelled to Japan as a kid! Feels so good 😌
Love that most of the tunes are relevant to the actual station or neighbourhood.
You know what melody was a little much? Osaka loop line’s approaching melody at Osaka station 😂 It just plays again and again and again and again
thanks for your contribution, it should be noted that most of the jingles you put in the video are JR east lines. Mr mukaya has spent his efforts in composing a large number of jingles for the Tokyo metro, while the credits for the very famous melodies of the yamanote and the JR (in addition to the mr Ide) go to a group of composers, of which I will leave the disc purchasable below from which the JR have derived the sounds ... beautiful video anyway!
In Indonesia, when a Train arrive, some station has a Music for to play, and also for Departure.
If you could connect and listen to all the railway jingles used in Japan, you could probably spend a whole day listening to them all.
The poster who summarizes that in a short video is amazing.
This is amazing! Matsudo is definitely my favorite jingle you played!
Also Jordy - are you starting a let's play channel?
These jingles are great for when you have dozed off. I don’t know why but my brain catches the melody and I am able to wake up before the doors close.😂
I remember finding it confusing to navigate the subway in Tokyo. It was quite different from other countries' standards, with multiple companies managing each line. However, it was also intriguing in its complexity, almost like solving a puzzle, especially with the unique songs playing at each station. It felt like being the protagonist in a '90s game. I wish I could experience that again; I miss Japan.
“Departure jingle” ? I always associate them with arrival. The first one that is sung by your “street reviewer” is JR Ebisu. My station. I love it.
The tune of shibuya sounds like a mission complete sound
My jingle has woken me up multiple times so I don’t miss my stop. I do hear from my apartment but I don’t dislike it, it’s no different then the sound of the train coming for me.
I had no idea this was a thing! So cool, like you're living inside a Pokemon game 😅
Hahaha, yes!
0:41 “I’ve been workin’ on the railroad”
jingle station is also implemented in Indonesia, it's just that we use one song in all stations except for long distance trains they have their own song
th-cam.com/video/wCq-FgIawjQ/w-d-xo.html
That's so cool!
I use a train jingle as my text notification. I get funny looks, laughs and smiles when my texts sounds. Fun video! Thanks!
When I heard that first melody I got virtual smothered by an avalanche of nostalgia.
Man, I miss Japan.
5:20 - yes, you are so wrong on Densha de Go! It's a series that started in 1996 on Arcade, PlayStation, PC, Sega Saturn, WonderSwan and Game Boy Color. The plug&play games came much-much later.
That fun fact at the end was the PERFECT easter egg. That's nuts they use that!! 😆
0:21 oh… I remember that one. ❤
Man… NYC subway ain’t got nothing on Tokyo Metro/JR.
Matsudo goes hard!
In Bergen, Norway they have those small jingles on the tram, but they play them before each stop is announced. The jingle is connected to the stop, like at the train station you can hear train sounds in the background. And some are shortened version of famous songs from Bergen. But the format of the songs is very close to the onces that is played in this video.
I found this fascinating when I was on a choir tour through Scandinavia! We were pleased to hear Grieg's composition at Troldhaugen
0:28 has ya mellow gee😭
Funnily enough, JR decided to not use these chimes altogether in some lines due to the fact that people will bum rush into the trains the moment they hear it.
Freaky...I was thinking the other day about train music then this pops up in my feed.....I'm terrified and also really happy to have watched this all at the same time.
Yamanote line jingles are magical
Thanks for making this video, been to Tokyo many times I actually enjoy the train tones there.
I really like Kyoto's Hassha Merodii. It sounds very traditional/Imperial.
Mukaiya Minoru is like one of the best musicians ever.
minoru is a legendary keyboard player from a legendary fusion band casiopeia..why does everything has to be "he has a lot of followers on twitter"
I need some of them as my ringtones...
our system has a "tune" of three tones throughout, bing-bah-boooong, and the doors start to slide closed right at the end of the last prolonged tone - it gives you yer run-n-jump timing!
I live in Japan since more than a year and I'm still enjoying those melodies every day 🤭
That has gotta drive you crazy, they opened a new railroad line and every time a drive goes thru the civic center station I HAVE TO LISTEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE NEW T CHINATOWN EXTENSION AND THEN HEAR IT 4 MORE TIMES IS OTHER LANGUEDGES
I have various train station melodies on my phone as ring tones and notifications. The next time i went to Japan after doing this i kept going for my phone whenever they'd play in the station 😅
while creating panik...
Oh shoot now I need to check the stations around me for jingles!
3:15 This one is probably my favorite
I just saw your video 2 years after you posted, my bad. XD And at this time, I just wanted to mention that Singapore's MRT has recently changed to a similar system. From a generic station jingle, different train lines now play a unique jingle based on some of the popular tunes in our country's three major mother tongues: Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
If you are interested, I found one video that clearly explains what melody is played at what line, and/or the differing scenario.
Links:
- th-cam.com/video/7eZfNOXeQ2g/w-d-xo.html
- th-cam.com/video/hMI9xsSTP3Y/w-d-xo.html
There are healthy complaints about how its jarring, but I personally err on the side of "I dun really notice coz I am listening to music" to "Its okay, pretty pleasant NGL." But after I seriously started to look into them, I had a more profound appreciation for them.
Thanks for sharing this!
Densha de go also was ported to PC. I played this game on pc.
The concept of a station melody system is first imported into Taiwan by Taipei Metro a few years ago, yet in an all different way.
Instead of as "departure" melody, Taipei Metro use them as "arrival" melody, signaling train arrival in 10 seconds.
Now, arrival melodies can be heard in all Taiwan's 4 existing metro systems.
Never knew this existed, wow!
fascinating, right?
The JR East Japan station by Tokyo Disney Resort, Maihama Station, sometimes has Disney songs for its platform jingles.
Recently, it has become more common for train drivers to drive trains alone, so the departure melody is playing more and more from the car's speakers.
You know when the doors are closing because it says "ドアが閉まっています" Not exactly but you'll still know.
Great video. I really enjoyed everything
向谷実さんが制作された駅メロディーはとても素晴らしいと思ってるので取り上げられて嬉しいな☺️
Densha de Go my beloved. I imported the japanese Switch version alongside the available controller and can only recommmend it even if it might be a little confusing and stressfull at first, especially for people that arent that much into trains
You know, these things are so pleasant to listen to that I was fairly annoyed when it often shut off mid-way (aside from getting overridden by the station's PA.)
It turns out that the conductor can shut it off mid-way in JR East! It seems to be controlled by the switch near where the train's end stops. Knowing this, I kinda got pissed at the conductor who shuts the melody down lol
Lovely sharing - Amazing track
Glad you like it!
I miss the station jingles 😭 I need to get back there.
Who made that cute animation in the beginning? I love it!
train stations in japan have their own ringtone 🤣🤣🤣👍
We need something like this in Los Angeles, where every subway station looks identical from a window. I got lost on the Vermont Avenue section this weekend, getting off at Sunset instead of Santa Monica.
Do you seriously expect American planners to give a s--- about the riders?!
@@garryferrington811
Nope!
Ironically! Metro Los Angeles has been experimenting classical music to keep the Westlake/Mac Arthur Park Station free of homeless transients and vagrants.
It’s working and the results are promising.
@@garryferrington811 - Actually, it's the politicians, and ultimately the voters. The Los Angeles subway is a few years from getting new cars, which tells you the condition of the existing ones.
they put a lot of effort into making sure every station in the red line had different themes, but yea from the inside of the car not all of them can be told apart.
@@adjutant Thank you! Consider how on the London underground system, every station has a different color scheme and uses custom wall tiles. In Washington, DC, the walls have big signs spaced along the walls that are easily visible through a car window. It doesn't take that much.
Would love to hear one of these Stations do the Thomas theme tune.
lol
I second this.
Yet, I want one of those stations play Join Us For A Bite from FNAF
@@EggsBennett1973 Second that too. Also one of the train levels from Megaman, Contra and others.
3:14 which station song is this?
Sinbashi Station
in Japan
What a smart system, we need that in The Netherlands
My favorite jingle is the one for Shibuya station.
These sounds feel nostalgic wtf
Nice video👍🏻
It let me know more about the history of the train melody in Japan.😄
I always hear that when i went to tokyo and Yokohama
Where would you find the keychain souvenirs with the jingle??
Very interesting video!
I got to give it up to Sakuragicho who just said "fuck it" and plagiarized the song "I've Been Working on the Railroad" for their jingle.
@3:15 Staying overnight at an Inn in a JRPG.
3:10 レアな発車メロディ どこから入手したのか…
恵比寿駅の第三の男 ver.Cですね。
再現かと
I'm suprised you didn't mention many train stations are playing different bird calls from the speakers next to exits to lead passengers out of the station.
*Ring tones for trains*
Great Video! At 11:00 I think it's 58 hundred yen not 58 thousand yen for $50 O.O
2:34 cool music dang
Where is the clip from the beginning from?
I love how much thought the Japanese put into everything
Can you imagine that would be a good idea on the New York City Subways? Better than Stand Clear of The Closing Doors.
9:30 Jammin' out lol
While there is nothing wildly inaccurate in this video, it isn't the best explanation of why there are jingles and what they do. The music is the most obvious, but only one part of, train operators use of nudge theory to control passenger behaviour and make the train stations' operations more efficient and safe. The blue lights and blue skylights at the end of platforms to lift to mood of potential jumpers, the arrows on the steps to discourage walking against the flow, the markings on the platform to encourage queueing, the music and chimes to deter people from making rushed attempts to board or descend stairs, the ultrasonics, along with many other subtle signals all work together to make the stations safer and to move people through stations more efficiently. The jingles don't function in isolation.
you've got a lot I didn't know in this video. thank ya XD
Yay, you’re welcome!
The jingles are also to wake up sleepy commuters.
hey, you didn't post the link to the mobile game as you said in the vid :)
3:15 what is this line jingle?
You said let's go back to the real video where I look like a human being.
I think this is a condition of the modern times. I think in fact it was well worth it that you did not shy away from adding the clip where you didn't style up because we humans do indeed not always look perfect and nowadays people just get bombarded on the internet with only the perfect side of people which leaves many insecure about their own appearance when they look in the mirror in the morning.
really interesting video, i heard some of these when i was in japan but knew none of this
So interesting!!
Dude this guy practically went around with a Yamaha piano and used the demos form the keyboard and made bank
02:34 Koi Suru Fortune cookie, so that must be Akihabara :)
We have pianos on some stations in the uk